King Asoka is
also known as King Without Worry. Since he feared nothing, he had no worries. He
has born in eastern India two hundred years after the Buddha entered Nirvana.
Ancient Indian was divided into five kingdoms. He was born in the eastern
kingdom, and became the third-generation king of the Maurya Dynasty. He was very
ugly: probably his nostrils pointed upwards and mouth slanted downwards. When
people saw him, they felt no affinities at all with him. He had a very willful
and obstinate personality. Therefore, his father didn't place much trust in him.
Nevertheless, he was a man of great capability. Even though he was ugly, he was
very ambitious and talented. He had the ambition to unify all of India.'In the
several wars which occurred at the time, he came out victorious. Earning merit
in helping the country, his reputation and position were established. After his
father died, all the civil and military officials supported him in becoming the
king. But once he gained power as king, he started a regime of cruelty. In order
to control the people, he built a hell on earth; it wasn't a hell in the Hells.
He was pretty much like Emperor Shihuang of the Qin Dynasty in China. Those who
criticized him were killed. The people had no way to resist, for if they did,
they'd be killed for sure.

Later on, he
encountered a Bhikshu named Ocean who influenced him to believe in the Buddha.
He came to have deep faith in Buddhism. Although he used to love killing, after
coming to believe in Buddhism, he changed this kind of conduct in himself and
also wanted everyone else to refrain from killing. Before, he had built a hell
on earth and was very eager to kill. But now, he wanted everyone to stop
killing. Why? Because he understood the law of cause and effect. Frequently, he
also practiced charity and assisted others. He constructed eighty-four thousand
stupas for holding the Buddha's sharira(relics), so that people could make
offerings to the Buddha's sharira all over the world. How does a person come to
have sharira" if one can cultivate the Way without thoughts of lust and without
lustful behavior, one will have sharira. If one can cultivate the precepts in
this way, one will have sharira.

King Asoka also
built numerous stone pillars in many places, carved with imperial edicts telling
people not to interfere with one another's religious beliefs. There must be
religious freedom, and no one should interfere with or oppose the religious
belief of anyone else.

King Asoka also
sent eminent monks to propagate the Buddhadharma in other countries. He built
and offered many to the Sangha in order to encourage people to leave the
home-life and cultivate. But because of that, those of other religions were also
able to infiltrate Buddhism. These "thief" monks intended to destroy Buddhism.
Right now there are many "thief" monks who wear the clothing of left-home people
in Buddhism, eat the food of Buddhism, and then corrupt the moral precepts of
Buddhism. These are called "thief" monks. They have modified the Three
Treasuries of the Canon, the Sutras, Vinaya, and Shastras. They don't hold the
precepts, and they don't want to follow the Buddha's teachings. It was for these
reasons that the sutras were compiled for the third time in the Pali language.
Pali was the name of an island in India. The compilers wrote the sutras onto
palm leaves in the language used on the island of Pali. These were the sutras of
the Southern Transmission.

King Asoka's
brother, the Bhikshu Tisya, also propagated the Buddhadharma in the country of
Ceylon. Because King Asoka favored the Mahasanghikah compilation and rejected
the Sthavirah compilation, early Buddhism was divided. The followers of the
Mahasanghikah and Stavirah compilations started their own sects and claimed
their own version to be the correct one.

A Verse in
Praise Says:The Buddha teaches evil peopleTo reform and renew themselves.There was a King named AsokaWho killed off his close relatives.When he met the Bhikshu OceanHe came to understand cause and effect.
Thereupon, he repented of his past offensesAnd made offerings to the Kind and Honored One.

The Buddha
teaches evil people to reform and renew themselves. "Evil people" doesn't only
refer to King Asoka. Its scope encompasses all bad people, for they must all
change their faults and turn over a new leaf.

There was a King
named Asoka in the past who killed off his close relatives. He had one hundred
brothers, and he killed ninety-nine of them. Only one was left, and he forced
that one to leave the home-life. That's why it says he killed off his close
relatives. What do you think happened to him the? When he met the Bhikshu Ocean,
he came to understand cause and effect. He realized that if he killed people, he
would have to pay with his own life in the future; if he incurred debts, he
would have to repay the money. The law of cause and effect was not off by the
slightest bit in its operation. Thereupon, he repented of his past offenses, and
made offerings to the Kind and Honored One. He made offerings to the Triple
Jewel: the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.

Another Verse
Says:An evil king repented of his offenses and supported the holy Sangha.Venerating the Triple Jewel, he put an end to greed and strife.Jeweled stupas were built throughout JambudvipaAnd the Sutras were recompiled in Pataliputra.He propagated the proper Dharma and influenced neighboring kingdoms.Great jeweled banners were erected to rescue the souls of enemies and kin.The Tathagata's sharira have been passed down to future generationsEnabling us to increase our blessings and wisdom and reach the other shore.

An evil king
repented of his offenses and supported the holy Sangha. Originally, King Asoka
was very evil, for he built a human hell. Perhaps he was a reincarnation of King
Yama. I'm King Yama's reincarnation, too, didn't you know? But I haven't killed
anyone. Venerating the Triple Jewel, he put an end to greed and strife. He paid
homage to the Triple Jewel, thus quelling greed and fighting. Jeweled stupas
were built throughout Jambudvipa. The people of Jambudvipa are "able to endure".
The Saha World is called the World Which Can Be Endured, because we living
beings are able to endure the suffering of this evil age of five turbidities.
And the Sutras were recompiled in Pataliputra. Another compilation of the Sutras
was done at Pataliputra.

He propagated
the proper Dharma and influenced neighboring kingdoms. He taught the people of
the neighboring countries. Great jeweled banners were erected to rescue the
souls of enemies and kin. He saved those who had ties of kinship with him, as
well as those who had enmity against him. The Tathagata's sharira have been
passed down to future generations, enabling us to increase our blessings and
wisdom and reach the other shore. He has caused the Buddha's relics to be
preserved down to the present, so that people today still know about them. We
should all bow to the Buddha's sharira as much as possible, for it can increase
our blessings and foster our wisdom. When our blessings and wisdom are
perfected, we will reach the other shore.